Christmas1999

Dear Friends,
              This is my first Christmas Card and Year in Review, I hope to do this every year from this point on. I have found it harder and harder to keep in communication with most of you and I hope this will help in this effort. Some of you will be getting this by email and for those who received it please feel free to pass it on to other friends that I might not have included.
              The year started off with a bang with my departure from the United States Marine Corps in Dec. of '98. I finished up my commitment with the Marines in Hawaii and move to Dallas TX (God's country).   I stayed at a five star hotel for about four months while I was looking for a job. During this time I took the opportunity to visit a friend and went snow skiing in Santa Fe, New Mexico.   This was fun being reintroduced to the cold weather coming from Hawaii. I was also running around having interviews looking for a job. I ended up taking a job in April in Austin TX with Motorola. Two things amazing happen, I moved to Austin TX and being an Aggie we are brainwashed that Austin is the center of all evil in the world. The second was that I got a job with Motorola, I say this because I had wanted to work for them for a long time but as I was leaving Hawaii Motorola was going through a hiring freeze. Lucky I got in at the end of it and the rest can be told by their stock price. I took a position as a Financial Analyst for worldwide Manufacturing for the Semiconductor sector with in Motorola. The job is much different from the Marine Corps and is challenging in it's own way.
              Austin is the best-kept secret in Texas! I had to get over that fact that a large group of the people in Austin have no direction in life and will end up working at Taco Bell due to the fact that they went to texas university. No really it is fun living in the live music capital of the world (or so they say). I quickly joined a softball team and enjoy the group of guys I hang out with. During the summer June 10 to be exact I bought a house by Lake Travis. So I have 30 years to look forward to being in debt!!! I really enjoy it and I coerced a friend of mind from College to move in with me. We have a great time having people over. So having said that there is one free bedroom for anyone that wants to come and visit.
              This fall was packed with things to do form water skiing to playing golf and hangout watching football.   The Texas A&M Bonfire tragedy hit hard with me and my A&M club friends here in Austin. I was very impressed by the way that Austin and the University of Texas help in the rescue and healing process that was to follow the tragedy.   In summary God has blessed me this year with a new job and new friends! I hope to stay in touch with you via email or by phone, as you know I do not write. Talk to you soon and Merry Christmas and Happyyy New Yearrrrr!!!!